Automobile-engine starter.



L. H. OBERREICH.

AUTOMOBILE ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION msn 0m11.191s. RENEWEU MAY 8.1913.

Patented Dea. 10, ISHS.

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L. H. OBERREICH.

AUTOMOBILE ENGINE STARTER.

APPLTCATTDN FILED 0CT.9. IBIS- RENEWED MAY 8. |918.

Patented De. 10,1918.

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LOUIE H. OBERREIOII, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AssIeNOR TO TIDEWATER nourr-v IvIENT CORPORATION, OP PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OPMAINE.

AUTOMOBILE-ENGINE STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. 1o, 191s.

Application filed October 9, 1915, Serial No. 54,931. Renewed May 8, 1918. Serial No, 233,373.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LOUIE H. OBERREIGH, a citizen 0f the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Automobile-Engine Starter, of which the following is a specification..

It is the object of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensive starting device for automobile engines, and one which when operated by hand can be operated from the seat with a minimum effort and withoutdanger of a back kick.A

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention. Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile engine and part of the transmission gear,'equipped with a manually Operated starter embodying my invention; Fig. 2 'is a section on the line 2-.-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail showing the torsion spring construction; Fig. 4 is a detail of the ratchet mechanism for preventing unwinding of the spring and backward movement of the operating' handle; and Fig.y 5 isa modificationshowing an electric .motor drive instead 0f a hand operation.

The engine 10 isof any desired type of internal combustion engine, and on the forward end ofv its shaft 11 there is loosely mounted a sprocket 12 which is connected to the shaft 11 by a ratchet mechanism 13 of any suitable character, for transmitting power from the sprocket 12 to the shaft 11 when the sprocket rotates in the direction vof the arrow but for allowing the shaft 11 to rotate in such direction without the sprocket 12. The sprocket 12 is connected by 'achain 14 to a sprocket 15 loose on a shaft 16'which is carried in suitable bearings 17 and eX- tends rearward to a point convenient to the driver, preferably just under the steering post 18. On vthe rear end of the shaft 16 is fixed a gear 19 which meshes with a pinion 20 rotatable by a crank 21 which can be in a suitable gear box'22, which maybe clamped on the steering post 18. Y The crank 21 is turned in aclockwise direction by the driver, as viewed by him, so-that the gear 19 is therebyrotated a counterclockwise direction, as viewed from the drivers seat.

The gear 19 andthe gear box 22 are provided with any suitable ratchet mechanism 23 for preventing the gear 19 from turning in the opposite direction, as is clear from Fig. 4. A torsion spring 25, most conveniently a helical spring, surrounds the shaft 16 near its forward end, and the front end of such spring is fixed to the sprocket 15 while the rear'end is attached to the shaft 16 so as to rotate therewith but to be slidable therealong. e doing this is to provide a slot 26 in the shaft 16 and to extend the rear end 25of the spring 25 through such slot 26. This slot 26 permits, without binding, the lengthening and shortening of the spring whichiscaused by its winding and unwinding. The spring 25 is made ofv such size relative to the shaft 16 that when ywound a predetermined amount, less than the elastic limit, its con The most simple wav of comitant contraction causes it togrip the planetary transmission() to the Vusual transmission shaft 31 extending to the'rear vehicle axle. The planetary transmission is of any desired character, and asshown includes a reverse brake disk and band 32,9. slow speed brake disk and band 33, a brake disk and band v34, and ahigh speed `clutch 35, which is a well-known standard construe* tion. Thebrake band and disk 34 act to retard and stop the transmission shaftBl, and the slow and reverse speedbrake bands Aand disks and the high speed clutch 35 act to con# nect the engine shaft 11 to thetransmission shaft 31 in different speed relationships.

In Operation, when it is desired to start thereby producing` rotation'of the shaft 16.

The friction within the engine ordinarily holds the engine from turning, so that as the shaft 16 turns the sprocket 15 remains stationary and thespring 25 is wound up until it exerts sufficient force to vovercom'ethe ten-v gine friction and turn the engine to start it. The ratchet mechanism 23 prevents the crank 21 from turning backward should the operator release it, purposely or accidentally;

transmission shaftl,y for any of the speed relationships, whether reverse, slow speed, 0r high speed, andthesfriction of the transmission and of the driving wheels of the vehicle thus added to that of the engine to restrain it. l This friction kmay be still further increased by applying the brake 34. This permits the spring'25 to be wound as far as f desired, and when the spring is sufficiently wound the connection between the shafts 11 and 31 may bebrokenrto allow the engine shaft 11 toturn under the action of the spring 25. If for any reason, the spring 25 fails to exert sufficient force to turn the engine shaft l1, the winding of thespring may be continued until the spring firmly clasps the shaft 16,`whereupon there is a direct and positive pull on the engine shaft l1 as the crank 21 is turned farther. y

While I'have described my invention heretofore purelyas a manually operated starter, the shaft 16 may alsobe operated by power, lsuch as an electric motor 40, as shown in Fig. 5. .This motor 40 is connected to va shaft y'16` by a'worm gear L11, e rl`he motor et() merelytakes the place of the crank 21 and its connections Vto the 'shaft 16; for the spring 25 with its connection tothe shaftl by the slot 26 and its gripping action on the shaft 16 when `wound to ra'predetermined extent are the same as in the manually operated starter.

` I claim as my invention:

1. A starter for internal combustionV ene ines com risin a shaft a member loosely mounted on said shaft, a spring surrounding said shaft and havingits two ends connected respectively to said shaft and to said member, that one of such parts which is connected'to one end of ysaid spring being arranged for connection tothe shaft of the engine to be started,- and means .for turning that one ofzsuch partsy which isconnected to the other end'of said spring,zthe connection between oneend of said spring and its associatedpartpermitting relative axial motion between them while requiring them to move together rotatively. f y 1 Y y2. 'A starter for Vinternal combustionV engines, comprising, a shaft, amember loosely mounted on'said shaft, apsprinlg surrounding said shaft kand-having its twoends connected respectivelyitosaid shaft and to said member, that oneoff'such parts `which is connectedto one endV of said spring being arranged kfor connectiontoythe shaft of the engine to be started, and means for turning that one of such parts which is connected to the other end of said spring, said shaft being longitudinally slotted and the end of said spring which is connected to said shaft being connected thereto through said slot so that relative axial motion between the shaft and the spring end is permitted but the shaft and the spring end are required to move together.

' 3. vA starter for internal combustion engines, comprising a shaft, a member loosely mounted on said shaft, a spring surrounding said shaft and having its two ends connected respectively to said shaft and to said member, that one of such parts which is connected to one end of said spring beingv arranged for connection to the shaft of the engine to be started, and means for turning that one of such parts which is connected to the other end of said spring, said spring being of such size relative to the shaft that when wound up to a point below its elastic limit it grips the shaft and prevents further winding of the spring and provides a positive drive between said shaft and said member.

4. A starter for internal combustion engines, comprising a spring which is stressed by winding, means for connecting one end of'said spring to the shaft 0f said engine, means for winding said spring from the other end, said spring having its parts so arranged that when wound up to a point below its elastic limit it binds and prevents further winding of the spring and provides a positive drlve'between sald winding means 'and said engine shaft.

5. An `engine starter comprising a helica starting spring, winding mechanism including a rotatable element connected to one end of said spring, a rotatable element connected to the other end of said spring to transmit the starting motion from the latter, and means arranged within the convolutions of said spring to limit nthe contractile movement ofpsaid convolutions, said spring and said means conjointly being arranged'to provide a positive driving connectionv between said rotatable elements when the spring is Wound to the maximum degree permitted by said means. v

6; An engine starter comprisinga helical starting spring, winding mechanism includ-l ing a rotatable element connected to one end of said-spring, and transmission mechanism including a rotatable element connected to theother end of said spring, one end of said spring being movable' axially toward and from the other to relieve the axial stress due to windingand unwinding.

7 An engine starter comprising a shaft, a member arranged to rotate independently of said shaft, a helical torsion springy ar# ranged to surround said shaft, the ends of provides a positive driving` connection besaid spring being connected to said shaft tween said shaft and said member.

and member respectively, the size of said In witness whereof, I have hereunto set 10 spring relative to the size of said shaft being my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this sixth such that When the spring is Wound to a day of October, A.D.one thousand nine hundegree less than its elastle limit it grips dred and fifteen.

said shaft and prevents further Winding and LOUIE H. OBERREICH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents cach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti.

Washington, D. G. 

